Christian Left Party
|
Citizen Left
Izquierda Ciudadana |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Leader | Víctor Osorio Reyes |
| Founded | 1971 11 June 2012 (renamed) |
| Coalition | New Majority |
| Membership (2009) | 2,078 (14th) |
| Ideology |
Socialism of the 21st century Christian socialism Liberation theology Christian humanism Christian left |
| Political position | Left-wing |
| International affiliation | Sao Paulo Forum |
| Colours | Purple, green and yellow |
| Chamber of Deputies |
1 / 120
|
| Senate |
0 / 38
|
| Website | |
| www.izquierdaciudadana.cl | |
The Citizen Left Party of Chile (Spanish: Partido Izquierda Ciudadana de Chile, IC), known until 2013 as Christian Left Party of Chile (Spanish: Partido Izquierda Cristiana de Chile, same acronym) is a Chilean left-wing political party. Founded in 1971, in its early days it was suppressed by the Pinochet dictatorship. It is nowadays part of the Nueva Mayoría coalition, supporting the presidential candidacy of former president Michelle Bachelet.
The Christian Left Party was founded when a number of Christian Democrats left their party in protest against the party's cooperation with the right-wing forces and confrontation with the Allende government. Thus, on 31 July 1971 Bosco Parra declared that he saw no future for christian left positions within the Christian Democrat party. He was joined by 6 other MPs, Fernando Buzeta, Jaime Concha, Alberto Jaramillo, Luís Maira, Pedro Urra and Pedro Videla, as well as by Silvia Alvarez, the only woman and Luís Badilla, the leader of the Christian Democratic youth organization. At this stage, the new organization was joined by a number of MAPU militants (incl. 3 senators: Julio Silva Solar, Alberto Jerez and Jacques Chonchol) who were dissatisfied with their party's affiliation with Marxism-Leninism.
Christian Left was part of the Unidad Popular coalition, and declared itself to be a revolutionary party of Christian and Humanist tradition, and in favour of constructing socialism. It tended to agree with the radical wing of the Unidad Popular (the leftist majority of the Socialist Party and parts of the MAPU). After the 1973 coup, the party members were subject to arrest and torture, like people from other leftist groups. The party's militants continued operating together with and within left-wing groups. After democracy was restored in Chile in 1990, most of the militants joined the Socialist Party while others continued as the Christian Left party.
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